CONTENT WARNING: murder, blood, violence (off-page), mention of substance use

This is one of the first cozy mystery series I had read, found through NetGalley, and it’s turned into a comfort series for me. I love the small town, island setting and it’s quirky cast of townies, especially level-headed Lana and her one-of-a-kind father. So I was ready to jump into this read for the new year.

Lana, who co-owns Perkatory with her father, Peter, is never one to sit still. She was raised by a coffee lover, and has grown to be one as well. After learning about how the climate of Florida can be a great place to grow coffee beans, she decides to give it a try, and Peter manages to get her a plot in the community garden with help from the owner, Darla. But when she gets to her plot, the body of Jack Daggett is found murdered in the garden.

Lana has promised her boyfriend, Noah, (who also happens to be the chief of police), that she will stop investigating on her own, and has her hands full preparing for an important dinner happening soon anyway. But when an acquaintance of Lana’s pleads with her to investigate and solve the crime so that the acquaintance doesn’t wind up as a suspect first. Although Lana doesn’t agree outright, I knew her inborn sense of curiosity would win out eventually, and the chaos multiplies throughout the book in a way that probably *should* have felt stressful, but didn’t.

I’m fully attributing that to the wonderful setting of this series. Devil’s Beach is a small town right on the beach of the Gulf of Mexico, on a little island off the southwestern coast of Florida. The weather is warm, everything you need is just a walk away, and the people in the town are quirky yet charming, for the most part.

By this point in the series, I’m president of the Lana Lewis fan club, even with her adorable non-curse-words. She cemented her place in my heart by calling snakes “danger noodles” in this book, although behind that candy-sweet exterior is a tough and brilliant interior. I always enjoy watching how her mind works—gathering all the available evidence, looking at the clues, interviewing people, and brainstorming with her little crew (aka her dad and Erica). It’s just the last part where she falls short and gets in trouble, because she doesn’t have backup.

This is a light and fluffy read, and the perfect example of a cozy mystery. Lana’s adorable pup, Stanley, is a side character in the story, not just a prop, and it’s difficult not to love him as well, since he’s just too cute. The romance between Lana and her boyfriend, Noah, is starting to get more serious, and I enjoyed seeing Lana grow a little more in this book. She learns how to set some boundaries and stick to them, and one of the big side characters has a major change in their life that affects others, so we get to see how they all grow from that.

This is a fast-paced story, that was fun and witty. I was never bored while reading this, and it was immensely entertaining as well. It was the perfect read for me, since I read this one while also reading some books featuring heavier topics. But ultimately, it was a book that I really enjoyed, and a series that I plan on continuing. If you like cozy mysteries, this is a series I’d highly recommend.

Lana Lewis is back brewing coffee and solving crime in the fourth installment of the series, A Coffee Lover's Mystery. Along with her dog, Stanley, dad, Peter, and barista best friend, Ericka, she gets herself stuck in the middle of the investigation with her snooping around and hilarious antics, much to the chagrin of her Police Chief boyfriend, Noah.

A Bean to Die For made me laugh, cry, giggle, swoon and gasp along with Lana and the rest of the cast. I love the reoccurring characters, as they add much fun to the series and it's wonderful to revisit them and catch up on their lives. The writing is smooth and warm, just like a perfect cup of your favorite coffee. I'm not sure what I'll do until I can read the next installment.

I alternated between listening to and reading this one, as I couldn't put it down, but needed to get some life things done. At times I found the narrator a bit young for Lana's age and I enjoyed reading it more than listening. But, overall, I love this series and will read them all again before the next one.

Plot: Reporter turned barista Lana Lewis is back. She’s decided to try her hand at growing her own coffee and secures a plot in the community garden. Unfortunately a dead body is found amongst the plots and Lana can’t help but poke around.

What I liked:
☕️The small Florida beach town setting.
☕️Lucy’s Dad Peter. He’s such a great character. Love his hippie new age vibes.
☕️All the coffee and gardening scenes.

Final thoughts: This book was such a fun, entertaining, light, quirky read. I love that the main character Lucy is a former crime reporter, it adds to how she investigates and snoops around. Her dad is one of my favorite characters, along with her boyfriend Noah, the police chief, and her dog Stanley. Overall this was a fun read, interesting murder investigation with a lot of suspects to keep you guessing and a little romantic subplot being taken to the next level.

A Bean to Die For is a great addition to the Coffee Lover's Mystery series. I enjoy visiting Lana, co-owner of coffee shop, Perkatory, her boyfriend and police chief, Noah, her best friend and barista, Erica, and wacky, hippie father, Peter. This fun series is set on an island in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast near Tampa, Florida. Lana doesn't intend to but has a way of getting involved sleuthing a murder mystery. This time the suspect of murder, a customer at the coffee shop, begs her to prove her innocence. Finally, Lana, Erica, and Peter work to investigate a large pool of suspects without letting Noah find out. It is fun to watch as they are able to check suspects off the list of those who did not get along with the dead man. It is a busy week for Lana as she has a new project at work, and she is supposed to meet Noah's mom and sister during the upcoming weekend. This is an action-packed story with danger and wacky characters is a lovely Florida setting and many new changes in the forecast. Recommended for all cozy mystery lovers.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

An entertaining cozy with an adorable dog, coffee and plenty of suspects to keep you guessing. What more do most people need in life? This is the first book I've read of this series but I had no problems diving in and feeling right at home in Florida with this engaging group of characters.

I really liked Lana and her negotiating a relationship with a police officer who wants her to leave the investigating to the professionals (though she once was an investigative reporter). It makes the story more real when it realistic touches. And what is more realistic than a woman freaking out over meeting her boyfriend's family for the first time when she is cooking them dinner. No pressure there!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was another exciting and sometimes really funny adventure with Lana, her dad, her bestie Erica and her sweetie, Noah. From the first book, Lana’s dad was my fave character and he’s stayed my fave through this book as well. Once the case was solved and the perp caught, there were some fun changes in store for Lana and her loved ones. I’m pretty sure Stanley pup’s really gonna like one of those changes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book, and my opinions are my own.

Coffee shop owner Lana Lewis is delighted to get a spot in the local community garden, where she hopes she'll be able to grow her own coffee plants. Her father, a long term member, has warned her about the many rules and ongoing conflicts between members, but nothing could have prepared her for the shock of discovering a dead body on her first visit. It's the fourth book in the series, so it's not the first time Lana's seen a murder victim and her previous career as a journalist has helped her discover the skills she'll need to figure everything out. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The setting, cast of characters, and intriguing mystery all come together in a perfect blend. Even though I haven't read the previous three books, I felt right at home in Lana's world.

Coffee, friends, Murder! What a fun read! This is the first book I've read in the A Coffee Lover's Mystery but it is the 4th book in the series. Lana has a coffee shop called Perkatory and decides along with her employees to try to grow her own coffee beans. Unfortunately before she can even start trying to grow coffee, she finds the body of the previous owner of the plot. With her former investigative journalist skills, she helps Darla, the garden's owner, to find the murderer before it's too late for her.
I enjoyed this story. It's cute, silly at times and has a fun little mystery. I like the characters and how they all get a long with one another. I"ll be reading the next book.

I enjoy this series but this was not my favorite. The same elements that are in the first few, the setting, the characters, the focus on the mystery, are all there, but this one seemed a little off: it’s very formulaic and seems a little cheesy because of it. The character quirkiness has been upped to an extraordinary level, making them seem like caricatures of people you expect to find in a beach town, the dialogue between Lana and her various friends seems stilted and awkward, and the situations she finds herself in are almost slapstick in their ridiculousness. Add in that she spends more time investigating and can’t even handle the most basic of tasks and I was not a fan. Hoping the next one is back to the series I enjoy so much.

Devils Beach. The rules are different here

My favorite Coffee Lovers book yet! I got a kick out of the hijinks of Lana and her pals as I laughed my way through the book at the most unexpected times. The mystery was engaging and well presented and I love how much the characters have grown over the four books. Well done!

If you love coffee, quirky characters and murder, this book is for you! It is the fourth book of the Coffee Lovers Mystery Series. I have read all of them and they are an auto read for me.

Lana is trying to run her coffee shop Perkatory, keep her "old hippie" father out of trouble, and get ready to cook for and entertain her boyfriend's family for the first time. If this isn't enough there is a murder in the community garden of Devils Beach of Jack Daggitt, and the prime suspect Darla begs Lana for her to prove she didn't commit the murder.

I love these books. The author makes these characters so relatable. I fell in love with them and feel like I'm visiting old friends. This installment of the series will keep you turning the pages. It is a mystery with lots of suspects and twists. Can Lana solve the mystery in time to pull off a successful dinner for her police chief boyfriend's mother and sister? I also just love her dog Stanley and his antics.

I would like to see what happens to Jack's daughter and if she and Lana become friends. Hoping she makes an appearance in the next book.

Thank you, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

For the love of all things coffee, you should read this book, toss in a murder mystery, a cast of fun and quirky characters and you have entertainment for hours! Lana and her crew at Perkatory are back in action and have decided to try their hand at raising their own coffee beans, but before they can plant their first seedling, they need to figure out who murdered the former owner of their plot of ground! The story is very well written with a depth of suspects that will keep you guessing. The main character, Lana, is intelligent and insightful, so she helps guide you in unwrapping the mystery very skillfully, although not without mishaps and laughter! The uniqueness of each character is so well thought out that makes each character that much more endearing and relatable. If you have spent much time hanging around a local coffeeshop of any sort, then you realize quickly that we are a different breed of person and tend to let that uniqueness hang out in the open. The author captures that trait so magnificently! I absolutely love visiting Lana and her crew and I definitely will be waiting anxiously for the next book to come out as it looks like some really cool things are going to be happening in the characters' lives very soon! I do highly recommend that you read the books in order as each book builds out the backstories of the characters, the communities they live in and in fact the whole island. Not to mention it will be hours of fun reading time!

Lana Lewis is a former investigative crime journalist who now operates Perkatory, a coffee shop, but she still seems to keep finding dead bodies. Her boyfriend and Chief of Police, Noah Garcia, usually wants her to stay away from all investigations but this time is different and Noah actually asks for some help. Lana finds herself stressed by the lack of clues in this newest case but even more stressed about the dinner she is planning along with meeting Noah's mother for the first time.

I like the variety of characters in this story with Lana's dad, Peter, who is a hippie, adding a nice touch of humor. This is the 4th book in the Coffee Lover's Mystery series and is good combination of mystery, humor and romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

The fourth book in the Coffee Lovers Mystery series. I have read two of the earlier books.

Main character, Lana, runs Perkatory, a coffee shop at Devil's Beach in partnership with her father. When they decide to try growing coffee plants at the local allotment they do not expect to find a dead body in between the rows. Lana's boyfriend, Noah, who is the local Chief of Police, tries to stop her from investigating because she has been injured before, but she can't help herself.

There are many suspects but Lana works her way steadily through them finding their alibis and crossing them off her list. When she does discover the guilty party it is almost by accident and it is not her fault if she gets into bit of a pickle. A nice mystery, some very interesting uses for coffee and a cute pup called Stanley who nearly steals every scene. Four stars.

Gardening can be… murder? Little did Lana know that when she decided to try growing some of her own coffee, she’d be stumbling across yet another dead body. Will all her talents as a former investigative journalist be enough to identify a killer before it’s too late? I had a lot of fun with this book. I didn’t notice any of the things that had been pain points previously and I was able to just sink into the story and try to out-sleuth Lana. Which I failed at quite miserably, by the way. The author kept me guessing about the “who?”s and the “why?”s all the way to the end. And I particularly loved what we got to see of Lana and Noah’s relationship progressing. That makes me very curious where this series is going to go next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley.

The latest coffee lover’s mystery finds Lana investigating the murder of a man found in a community garden.

Another good entry in this series! I was expecting this one to center more around the community garden than it did (it was more about the man being crotchety), but it still was good. We also get a lot of side character development without sacrificing the investigation, which I appreciated! Can’t wait for the next one!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing that caught my eye was the cute puppy on the cover! That grabbed me and I knew this was going to be another great book in the series A Coffee Lover's Mystery by Tara Lush.
Lana who is a co-owner of Perkatory seems to find dead bodies and then she has to find the guilty party. The mystery in the book is as good as all the other books in this series.
All the characters are so well written and they fit together perfectly.
This is a cozy mystery series that just keeps getting better and better.
Thank you NetGalley, Tara Lush and Crooked Lane Books for the copy of A Bean to Die For. This is my personal review.

This book was so charming and fun to read (other than the murder). I want to try a fancy latte and sit at Perkatory and hang out with Lana and Erica. I adore this series. especially Lana's hippie dippie dad who always makes me laugh out loud.

I am curious to see where the series goes from here.

My thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for this ARC.

I like this series and liked this cozy mystery, a well plotted story that kept me guessing. I was glad to catch up with the characters and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Lana co-owns a coffee shop in Devils beach, Florida. She decides she wants to grow some of her own coffee plants for her shop. Her father helps her get a gardening plot at the community garden. As they go to the garden to scope out their plot. Lana sees a dead body and that sets up a new investigation. Darla asks Lana and Erica to investigate since the police think she did it. The mystery was kind of bland. I had no clue who it could be and had no idea who the killer was. I enjoyed the writing, the book and the characters.